1:1 How has she sat alone, the city abounding with people

Lamentations

1:1 How has she sat alone, the city abounding with people! She had been as a widow, the mighty among nations! Princes among provinces, she has become tributary!^1:2 She sheds tears in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks^: among all her lovers she has none to comfort her^: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.^1:3 Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude^: she lives among the nations, she finds no rest^: all her persecutors overtook her in a narrow place.^1:4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the Appointed Place^: all her gates are desolate^: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.^1:5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; because YHWH has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions^: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.^1:6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty has departed^: her princes are become like deer that find no pasture, and they go powerless before the pursuer.^1:7 Remembered has Jerusalem in the days of her affliction and her mournings, all her desirable things that were from the days of old, in the falling of her people into the hand of an adversary, and she has no helper. The adversaries have seen her, they have laughed at her cessation.^1:8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she is removed^: all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness^: yes, she sighs and turns backward.^1:9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembers not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully^: she had no comforter. O YHWH, behold my affliction^: because the enemy has magnified himself.^1:10 The adversary has spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things^: because she has seen that the nations entered into her Sacred Place, whom you did command that they should not enter into your company.^1:11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to relieve their appetite^: see, O YHWH, and consider; because I am become vile.^1:12 Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by? observe, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow that is done to me, with which YHWH has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.^1:13 From above he has sent fire into my bones and it prevails against them^: he has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back^: he has made me desolate and faint all the day.^1:14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand^: they are intertwined and come up upon my neck^: he has made my strength to fall, Adonai has delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.^1:15 Adonai has trampled under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me^: he has called an assembly against me to crush my young men^: Adonai has trampled the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.^1:16 For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my life is far from me^: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.^1:17 Zion spreads out her hands, and there is none to comfort her^: YHWH has commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be all around him^: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.^1:18 YHWH is righteous; because I have rebelled against his commandment^: hear, I ask you, all people, and behold my sorrow^: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.^1:19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me^: my priests and my Elders expired in the city, while they sought their food to relieve their appetites.^1:20 Behold, O YHWH; because I am in distress^: my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me; because I have grievously rebelled^: abroad the sword bereaves, at home there is dying.^1:21 They have heard that I sigh^: there is none to comfort me^: all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it^: you will bring the day that you have announced that they may become like me.^1:22 Let all their wickedness come before you; and do to them, as you have done to me for all my transgressions^: because my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

2:1 How has Adonai covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from the skies to the ground the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!^2:2 Adonai has swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and has not pitied^: he has thrown down in his anger the strongholds of the daughter of Judah. He has brought them down to the ground^: he has polluted the kingdom and its chiefs.^2:3 He has cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel^: he has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire that devours all around.^2:4 He has bent his bow like an enemy^: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and killed all that were pleasant to the eye in the tent of the daughter of Zion^: he poured out his fury like fire.^2:5 Adonai was as an enemy^: he has swallowed up Israel, he has swallowed up all her palaces^: he has destroyed his strongholds, and has increased in the daughter of Judah grieving and mourning.^2:6 And he has violently taken away his pavilion, as if it were of a garden^: he has destroyed his Appointed Place^: YHWH has caused the sacred seasons and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and has despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.^2:7 Adonai has cast off his Altar, he has abhorred his Sacred Place, he has given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the Temple of YHWH, as in the day of an appointed feast.^2:8 Devised has YHWH to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion, he has stretched out a line, he has not turned his hand from destroying, and he causes the bulwark and wall to mourn, together - they have been weak.^2:9 Sunk into the earth have her gates, he has destroyed and broken her bars, her king and her princes are among the nations, there is no law, also her prophets have not found vision from YHWH.^2:10 The Elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silent^: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth^: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.^2:11 My eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, because the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the nursing grow weak in the streets of the city.^2:12 They say to their mothers, where is corn and wine? when they grew weak as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their lives were poured out into their mothers' bosom.^2:13 What thing will I take to witness for you? what thing will I liken to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? what will I equal to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? because your breach is great like the sea^: who can heal you?^2:14 Your prophets have seen vain and foolish for you^: and they have not uncovered your depravity, to turn away your captivity; but have seen for you false burdens and causes of banishment.^2:15 All that pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem saying, is this the city that people call the Perfection of Beauty, the joy of the whole earth? ^2:16 All your enemies have opened their mouth against you^: they hiss and gnash their teeth^: they say, we have swallowed her up^: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.^2:17 YHWH has done what he had devised; he has fulfilled his Word that he had commanded in the days of old^: he has thrown down, and has not pitied^: and he has caused your enemy to rejoice over you, he has set up the horn of your adversaries.^2:18 Their heart cried to Adonai, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night^: give yourself no rest; let not the apple of your eye cease.^2:19 Arise, cry out in the night^: in the beginning of the watches pour out your heart like water before the presence of Adonai^: lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger in the upper parts of every street.^2:20 See O YHWH, and look attentively, to whom you have acted thus, do women eat their fruit, infants of a hand-width? killed in the Sanctuary of Adonai are priest and prophet?^2:21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets^: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger; you have killed and not pitied.^2:22 You have called as in a solemn day my terrors all around, so that in the Day of YHWH's anger none escaped nor remained^: those that I have swaddled and brought up has my enemy consumed.

3:1 I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his anger.^3:2 He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.^3:3 Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand against me all the day.^3:4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.^3:5 He has walled against me, and encircled me with gall and hardship.^3:6 He has set me in dark places, as they that are dead for the ages.^3:7 He has hedged me all around so that I cannot get out^: he has made my chain heavy.^3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.^3:9 He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked.^3:10 He was to me as a bear lying in ambush, and as a lion in secret places.^3:11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces^: he has made me desolate.^3:12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.^3:13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.^3:14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.^3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood (bitterness).^3:16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.^3:17 And you have removed my life far off from peace^: I was deprived of prosperity.^3:18 And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from YHWH^:3:19 Remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.^3:20 My mind has them still in memory, and is humbled in me.^3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.^3:22 It is of YHWH's goodness that we are not consumed, because his compassion fails not.^3:23 They are new every sunrise^: great is your fidelity.^3:24 YHWH is my portion I say; therefore I will hope in him.^3:25 YHWH is good to them that wait for him, to the mind that inquires of him.^3:26 It is good that one should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of YHWH.^3:27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.^3:28 He sits alone and keeps silent, because he has borne it upon him.^3:29 He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.^3:30 He gives his cheek to him that strikes him^: he is filled full with scorn.^3:31 Because Adonai will not cast off for the ages^:3:32 But though he causes grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his goodness.^3:33 Because he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.^3:34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,^3:35 To turn aside the right of a man before the presence of the Most High,^3:36 to subvert a man in his cause, Adonai approves not.^3:37 Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when Adonai commands it not?^3:38 Does not badness and good come from the mouth of the Most High? ^3:39 Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?^3:40 Let us search and explore our ways, and return to YHWH.^3:41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto Elohim in the cosmos.^3:42 We have transgressed and have rebelled^: you have not pardoned.^3:43 You have covered with anger, and persecuted us^: you have killed, you have not pitied.^3:44 You have covered yourself with a cloud- mass so that our prayer should not pass through.^3:45 You have appointed us as the off-scouring and refuse among the peoples.^3:46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.^3:47 Fear and a snare has come upon us, desolation and destruction.^3:48 My eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.^3:49 My eye trickles down, and ceases not, without any intermission,^3:50 Until YHWH look down, and inspects from the cosmos.^3:51 My eye affects my heart because of all the daughters of my city.^3:52 My enemies hunt me keenly, like a bird without cause.^3:53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.^3:54 Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am cut off.^3:55 I called upon your Name, O YHWH, out of the low dungeon.^3:56 You have heard my voice^: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry.^3:57 You drew near in the day that I called upon you^: you said, Fear not.^3:58 O Adonai, you have pleaded the causes of my life; you have ransomed my life.^3:59 O YHWH, you have seen my wrong^: judge my cause.^3:60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.^3:61 You have heard their taunting, O YHWH, and all their imaginations against me;^3:62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their plotting against me all the day.^3:63 See their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.^3:64 Render to them a dealing, O YHWH, according to the work of their hands.^3:65 Give them sorrow of heart, your curse unto them.^3:66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the cosmos of YHWH.

4:1 How is the gold become dim! how is the finest gold altered! the stones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.^4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!^4:3 Even the sea serpents draw out the breast, they give suckle to their young ones^: the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.^4:4 The tongue of the nursing child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst^: the young children ask bread, and no man breaks it for them.^4:5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets^: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.^4:6 Because the punishment of the depravity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment and no hands were laid on her.^4:7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire^:4:8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets^: their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it has become like a stick.^4:9 They that are killed with the sword are better than they that are killed with hunger^: because these pine away, stricken through for lack of the fruits of the field.^4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children^: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.^4:11 YHWH has accomplished his fury; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations.^4:12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.^4:13 Because the sins of her prophets, and the depravities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the righteous among her,^4:14 They have wandered as blind people in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.^4:15 They cried to them, depart you; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not^: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the nations, they will no more sojourn there.^4:16 The anger of YHWH has divided them; he will no more regard them^: they respected not the presence of the priests, they favored not the Elders.^4:17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help^: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.^4:18 They hunt our steps so that we cannot go in our streets^: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; because our end has come.^4:19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the skies^: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.^4:20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations.^4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that lives in the land of Uz; the cup also will pass through to you^: you will be drunken, and will make yourself naked.^4:22 The punishment of your depravity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity^: he will visit your depravity, O daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.

5:1 Remember, O YHWH, what has come upon us^: consider and see our reproach.^5:2 Our inheritance is turned to foreigners, our houses to aliens.^5:3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.^5:4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold to us.^5:5 Our necks are under persecution^: we labor, and have no rest.^5:6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.^5:7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their depravities.^5:8 Slaves have ruled over us^: there is none that does deliver us out of their hand.^5:9 With our lives we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the wilderness.^5:10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.^5:11 They raped the women in Zion, and the virgins in the cities of Judah.^5:12 Princes are hanged up by their hand^: the faces of Elders were not honored.^5:13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.^5:14 The Elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.^5:15 The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.^5:16 The crown has fallen from our head^: woe to us that we have sinned! ^5:17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.^5:18 Because of the mountain of Zion that is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.^5:19 You, O YHWH, dwell for the ages; your throne from generation to generation.^5:20 Why do you forget us unto the end, and forsake us so long a time?^5:21 Turn us back O YHWH unto you, and we turn back, renew our days as of old.^5:22 But you have utterly rejected us; you are very angry against us.